When have we not been great?
I remember back in the Jimmy Carter years, when we were told that we'd just have to accept being second place to Japan. Told to turn down our thermostats and cower in our darkened rooms. 55 mph speed limits. Sit helplessly while Iran takes over our embassy and holds people hostage indefinitely. Try a rescue attempt that only demonstrates incompetence.
I liked the mood of the country better a few years later. Think LA Olympics time-frame.
I guess it isn't for everyone though. Some people seem determined not only to stew in their own bitter juices, but try desperately to drag others down to their level too.
“When have we not been great?”
Beginning around January 20, 1989. It took both parties to decline this much, and a couple of decades to get really desperate.